I followed their gaze and wasn't surprised at all to see Kade Taylor coming through the doorway. I also wasn't surprised to see Katy Watson holding his hand. Not surprised, just panicked, hurt, and…jealous? Seriously, what was wrong with me?
Kade looked better than I remembered. His dirty blonde hair was still long, probably just above his shoulders but he had it pulled back in a sexy man bun. He was more muscular, his button down flannel shirt tight through his chest. The short sleeves showed the tattoos on his arms that almost stretched to his wrists, quite a bit more ink than the last time I saw him. He was giving off serious Charlie Hunnam/Sons of Anarchy vibes just without the facial hair. His grey eyes scanned the patio and when they got to me, they kept going. I blew out the breath I was unintentionally holding, thinking I had gotten away undetected, until I realized his eyes had come right back to me.
"Fuck," I said out loud. He raised an eyebrow and I wondered if he heard me. Katy said something to him and when he didn't reply she tried to see where he was looking. When she saw me, her pretty face went cold.
I whipped around in my seat to Lola.
"Did you invite him?" I hissed. She frowned.
"Girl, please, it's the only bar in town on a Friday night," she said, drinking her Cosmo and I relaxed. "Of course I invited him."
"Lola!" Courtney and I said at the same time. She shrugged.
"What? I had to drop off my car for some work and I may have mentioned it. He was going to find out sooner or later. And besides, you even said it's obvious he's moved on," she explained, waving her drink around. Kade owned the only mechanic shop in town. He took over for his uncle when he retired. The next closest one was an hour away, a place I'd already made an appointment at to have my car worked on after my trip.
"Wow, Lo, with friends like who needs enemies?" Chris said, standing up. She stuck her tongue out at him as Kade came up, Katy trailing behind him.
"Sara!" Kade's twin brother Koen came running up from behind him and practically dragged me out of my chair and into a hug. I laughed as he crushed my ribs. Koen was identical to Kade, except instead of tattoos on his forearm, he had a large scar from a surgery after he shattered his arm during a motor bike race. Completely goofy and incapable of holding down a relationship, he'd shocked everyone when he eloped with his college girlfriend of three months his freshman year. No one except Kade and I supported the relationship, which was still going a decade later.
"Koen! Where's Bree?" I asked when we pulled away, looking for his wife.
"Home with a sick kiddo. I'm pretty sure she sent me here just so she can get some peace and quiet," he explained sheepishly, running a hand through his shorter blonde hair. "But once you're settled we want to have you over for dinner. You won't believe how big Kelsey is." A year after the elopement, Koen shocked us all again when he announced Bree was pregnant. Kelsey was mine and Kade's goddaughter, a further reminder that I could not shake this man. They had three children in total, two girls and a boy.
"I bet. I can't wait to see her again," I said with smile. Kade came up next to his brother, an annoyed look on his face. I could feel my smile falter as he approached.
"Well as much as I'd love to stick around for this reunion, I have a standing date with your brother to kick his ass at horseshoes," Koen said giving me another quick hug, then dragged Chris away. Chris threw an apologetic look over his shoulder but it didn't look like he put up too much of a struggle.
"Hey," Kade said, standing in front of me, hands in his pockets. Katy stood next to him, her arms crossed over her chest, lips pursed.
"Hi," I said, tucking a curl behind my ear. Awkward was an understatement.
"Welcome back Sara," Katy said, uncrossing her arms and looping one through Kade's. "Congrats on the new job." Her voice took on a sickeningly sweet quality.
Take the high road, I told myself.
"Thanks, I'm looking forward to it," I replied. I mentally patted myself on the back.
"Kade and I have some really great news too," she continued, looking up at him with a smile. Kade frowned.
"Oh for fuck's sake Katy, not everything needs to be about you," Lola barked. "If you say one word to take away from Sara and this party, I'll slap the taste out of your mouth."
"It's a public place bitch. You don't get to decide what I do," Katy snapped back, taking a step forward. Kade grabbed her arm and pulled her back. I swear I was reliving a scene from high school.
"Excuse us. Lola, thank you for the invite. Sara, baby, nice to see you, enjoy your night," Kade said, turning to go, pulling Katy with him. She yanked her arm away.
"Did you just call her baby?" she hissed. My face flushed. I wasn't the only one who heard him. He looked at her and then at me.
"I guess I did. Old habits die hard," he said with a shrug. Katy pushed passed him and went back into the bar. Kade looked at me one last time, winked, and then followed her.
"Oh man. There is nothing sexier than a man who winks," Courtney said, fanning herself with a cocktail napkin. I stood there not sure what to do. Between the 'baby' and the wink, I was on fire. Why did this man still turn me on? I should be immune to his charms. I mean, I ignored them enough to break up with him.
"I hate her," Lola spit out, slamming her drink on the table.
"Yeah she didn't seem so fond of you either," I said, slipping into my seat.
"I think it might be hatred of you by proxy. You beat her out for that position at Wisteria," Courtney explained.
"What?! Really?" Ashamedly, this appealed to a small, petty part of my nature. "Do you think she wanted to announce their engagement?"
"Probably," Lola snorted. "That's what social media is for. Don't come in to my party and act a fool. I will end you."
"You're drunk. The only thing you're going to end is that drink," I told her.
"Hell yeah I am," she shouted. Her favorite song came on over the speakers and she disappeared back into the bar to dance.
"You girls okay?" Chris asked coming up behind me. I noticed a faint blush on Courtney's face and wondered what that was about.
"Yeah, but I'm done. I'm gonna call a cab and head out," I told him.
"I'll take you home," Chris said putting his mostly full drink on the table. Such a big brother.
"You sure? I'm fine heading out alone." He nodded.
"Yeah, Mom would kill me if she knew I let you leave alone. Courtney, I'll come back and take you and Lola home when you're ready," Chris said. Now her face was definitely red and I made a mental note to interrogate her later.
"Sounds good," she said weakly with a thumbs up.
Chris took my hand and led me through the bar. Lola was too busy sucking face with a dark haired guy on the dance floor and Hannah and Dean were nowhere to be found. Thankfully, neither were Kade and Katy. We found Chris' car in the parking lot and headed home.
The drive was quiet, Chris lightly drumming on the steering wheel to the song on the radio. The silence was comfortable. I had missed this camaraderie with him. The world could be going crazy but with Chris, I knew I was safe.
When we pulled into our parents' drive way, I noticed him squinting at the porch.
"You have a visitor," he said. I looked over and my heart hammered my chest.
Kade.